What a weekend, I planned to take Skye out yesterday to the garden centre for some “new experiences” and to buy a couple of plants for the boxes at the front door but it didn’t happen. At lunch time she spotted Nino lying peacefully on the sofa, jumped up beside him (new skill ,just learned, not encouraged!) and scared him so he jumped down, she jumped down too but landed on top of him and dislocated his left shoulder. Poor old Nino stood up with his left front leg at a rather odd angle. I quickly put Skye in her crate and picked him up. The leg slipped back in place thankfully but as he broke that leg when he was a puppy it seemed best to get the vet to check it so Nino and I headed off to the vets. He was very shaky and distressed when we got there but was given a shot of Metacalm and prescribed Previcox to ease any joint pain. He cheered up and felt brave enough to potter about while the vet and I chatted about the problems of having an old dog and a puppy.

Nino is fine today though understandably nervous if Skye is bouncing about . She is wearing her lead if she’s in the same room as him so that I can get hold of her quickly and deflect her attention if she gets too excitable. Unfortunately the weather is wet and cold and playing outside isn’t much of an option but she had a good play in the kitchen with her balland is playing peacefully with her toys just now.He is snoozing nearby looking rather old and more frail than usual but he seems happy enough to be close to her if she’s calm. He has no problems taking pills, as long as they come in a cube of cheese or a slice of banana he’s quite happy!

The sitting room carpet has had an eventful week too, on Thursday evening I got a phone call from my son, who was dog sitting, to say that the carpet was in “mint condition” ie had a hole in it. Skye had found a threadbare patch where Nino used to dig at it and chewed it . At lunchtime today I put a cup of tea on the table and she managed to knock it flying before I even got a sip of it so the carpet is now wet as well as holey. Just as well it is an old one!I might hold off replacing it for a while yet though!

Nino doesn’t want to play chase, have his ears chewed or his tail bitten and will only put up with it for a while

Nino can be very cross if you ignore the warnings

the humans don’t like being bitten either

the vet gives you a pink squeaky monkey toy to distract you when you get your first injection and you get to take it home

chewing the pink squeaky monkey drives everyone else crazy!

The first week has flown past, yet Skye seems to have been here for ages. She and Nino are learning to live together but I do catch him looking at her as if he is wondering why we replaced dear sweet gentle Charlie with this crazy hyperactive puppy. I wonder too, I’m sure another elderly German Shepherd would have been easier to adapt to and we all miss Charlie! He looks hopefully at visitors to see if a) they have brought him a Bonio and b) if he could fit Skye into their bags and get them to take her home. However he is learning to cope with her and occasionally I catch him cuddling up beside her when she’s sleeping so there’s hope yet. Let’s see what happens next week.